Love's a Fickle Thing
by QueenDromeda
Summary: You could say Harry Potter had a thing for the ones he couldn't have. / Slash, Het, and CrossGen.


Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter world.

o0o

The first time he really fancied someone was, surprisingly enough, his first year of Hogwarts. At first he didn't realize what the fluttering feeling in his stomach and the way he always looked for _him_ first, even before Ron and Hermione, meant.

Yes, he was very clueless about his feelings.

Part way through the year though, the broken shards of glass he had been feeling inside, put themselves together, and made it startlingly clear how he felt. And with those new thoughts, came even stronger denial. He couldn't like him of all people. He couldn't like a boy who constantly taunted and bullied him- if he did, he was practically loving You-Know-Who or Snape or someone equally as vile.

Unfortunately, the more he denied his feelings- or more rightfully so, tried to come up with reasons to deny his feelings- the more he found himself watching him, _observing_ him. And the more he did that, the more the likable qualities he had grew, blowing the small nub of a crush to a full blow _I-blush-at-the-very-thought-of-you _infatuation.

Of course, it's not like his crush even thought about him that way, because he was Harry Potter and he always wanted the ones he couldn't have.

And in this case, he couldn't have Draco Malfoy.

o0o

The next crush was blatantly obvious not just to him, but the whole school knew about it as well. She knew, her boyfriend knew, Ron knew, Hermione knew, Draco knew, _everyone_ knew. Everybody knew, and everybody laughed about it; which made everything worse.

Talk about embarrassing.

Actually, that's not even the humiliating part. The really, humiliating part is when he asked her to the ball, fully confident in securing a date. What he didn't know was that she, being the most perfect, smart, pretty, girl in school- or at least to him- already had a date to the ball. A date that just so happened to be his rival.

So what did he do? He just began to like her _even_ more. He was hopeless. He was pathetic. Out of all the girls, and guys, and non-binary folk in the school, he was left doe-eyed over a taken girl, who didn't even return his feelings. As a matter of fact, the other members of Hogwarts made it very clear he couldn't have her, particularly Draco- and he couldn't even pretend that what his old crush was doing didn't hurt, because, news flash, it bloody did.

She was nice about it at least, only avoiding him for most of the school year, nothing big; but it's not like he didn't expect it, because he was Harry Potter and he always wanted the ones he couldn't have.

And in this case he couldn't have Cho Chang- _even if _they got together later.

o0o

This time, despite telling himself-or more accurately, _yelling_- that he would make sure all people he fancied after the Cho incident, would be single, the message didn't seem to sink in. Wanna know why? Because he found himself liking another taken woman. Brilliant, right?

However, he was certain- surer than anything he had ever been before- that this was worse than liking Cedric's girlfriend. He had no idea he could get any lower in who he liked, but is seems anything _is _possible. Yes, he ended up attracted to another taken woman; but this was a woman who happened to be taken by a dorm mate of his.

He liked a girl who was dating his friend; his pal; his bloody mate!

The only thing he thought about- of course excluding her, her wonderful skin, and her talent for the bat bogey hex- was how much this was turning out like Dudley's favorite song, Jesse's Girl. And even worse than that, he was positive Hermione knew; not because Hermione knew everything, though that was part of it, but because she kept shooting him funny looks.

He'd send himself funny looks too, if he could. After all he had to bloody mental to fancy _two_ taken girls consecutively. Two! What was wrong with him- other than the obvious depression, angst, and stress from the worlds fate hanging from his bloody shoulders. Maybe Dumbledore would agree to send him to an asylum in return for Slughorn's memory?

On the bright side Dean never commented on his _little_ crush on his girlfriend; after all he was Harry Potter and he always wanted the ones he couldn't have- what in the world was wrong with him?

And at this moment Ginny Weasley was off the table. Though, for the record, their wedding was awesome.

o0o

The last time he had noticeable feelings for someone, was way later in life. After the war, and marriage, and children, and nephews, and nieces, and more weddings, and the first grandchild. Of course, that only made him feel even grosser about it.

He was married. He was your daughter's fiancé. He was practically a nephew to you in all but blood. And that was gross with a capital G. Still, he hadn't been able to keep his feelings in check before, so what made him think he could do it now. Good Lord, he was disgusting. What would his family think if they knew of his little crush. What would his friends think?

If he found himself sickening for liking someone he could be the father to, what would the world think?

The sky was the limit, for what they could write about him. And, in all honesty, it _terrified _him. He would lose everyone if they knew about these feelings. Ginny would leave, Lily would leave, Albus would leave, James, Hermione, Ron, Rose, Molly, Hugo- they would all leave him, disgusted at the thought of him.

So he kept his feelings a secret only he could know about, because he was Harry Potter and always wanted the ones he couldn't have- even if it was _totally_ revolting.

And in this case, Lorcan Scamander, his daughters future husband, was the one he couldn't have.

o0o

Written for booksdefygravity's "As Many As You Want" Competition, using the following prompts: Draco/Harry, Ginny/Harry, Lorcan Scamander, Crossgen, and Sky.

Please tell me if you find any glaring errors.


End file.
